TikTok is flying out of the smartphones of British officials. “Data may be used contrary to the national interest”

TikTok, a Chinese social media app, will be blocked from UK government phones. The ban will cover phones used by government ministers and government officials.

TikTok banned by successive authorities. There are new reports

The reason is serious privacy concerns. ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, has been accused of handing over user data to the Chinese government.

British minister Oliver Dowden will announce the decision in the House of Commons, the BBC reports. As in the case of the American and EU authorities, the steps taken by the British stem from security concerns related to the Chinese social media giant’s links with the communist regime in Beijing.

Dowden stated that there is a potential risk that the app could use government information and data in ways that are inconsistent with the national interest. He added that the ban would cover all telephones and other devices used by members of the government, parliamentarians and public administration employees. The politician also assured that the UK government would work closely with TikTok to improve security and data protection standards. While cracking down on the Chinese app, the government also plans to review its policy on the use of other social media by government officials and introduce a new digital security law.

According to some experts, the steps taken by Western countries are a reflection of deteriorating relations with Beijing. In January, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order banning transactions with TikTok and other Chinese tech companies on national security grounds. The app has disappeared from federal devices. In February, the European Commission did the same – ordered its employees to remove TikTok from their work phones.

The battle in cyberspace continues

These fears are not unfounded in the face of recent reports. As Daniel Maikowski wrote in his analysis, a real battle is taking place in cyberspace. Russian hacking groups on behalf of the Kremlin have been trying to break into European Internet networks for years. The situation worsened after the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

According to recent reports, hackers exploited a vulnerability in the Microsoft Outlook application to gain access to the data of NATO and the armed forces of some Eastern European countries, as well as transport and energy companies. It is not known how much information they managed to obtain and how much Europe’s security is at risk.

According to CNN’s findings, between April and December 2022, APT28 hackers allegedly accessed networks used by “fewer than 15” government, military, transportation and energy organizations. The APT28 group (its other names are STRONTIUM, Sofacy and Fancy Bear) is considered the Kremlin’s greatest ally in cyberwarfare.

Serious accusations

Of course, there is no evidence that TikTok is used to infiltrate NATO, but the accusations of violating user privacy are serious. They come from cybersecurity experts, as well as politicians and social organizations. These allegations concern, inter alia, suspicions of eavesdropping on users via the microphone, collecting excessive personal and location data, censoring content that is inconsistent with China’s policy and cooperation with Chinese secret services.

TikTok consistently denies all allegations and assures about its commitment to protecting user privacy and security. TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, which is subject to Chinese law and may be required to share user data with Chinese authorities.